Mr. Mom
by Rachelle Ryan
Summary: What would have happened if Tucker had stayed pregnant? WIP
1. Mr Mom

Summary: What would have happened if Tucker had stayed pregnant? Disclaimer: I don't anybody. They all belong to somebody else and I definitely don't have their permission to write this. A/N: This has been sitting on my computer for a long time. I decided to post it and if anyone liked the idea I'd write some more for it. *** Mr. Mom  
  
I was on the bridge when we found what was left of their ship. I can't say exactly what went through my mind when I saw the wreckage but the general theme was 'Oh, crap.' I had been hoping for an easy answer an easy fix, wasn't going to happen now.  
  
"Captain Archer there are traces of Klingon energy weapons around the debris." Cmdr T'pol reported.  
  
"Well I guess we found the Xyrillians. But not before the Klingons." John was looking at me when he said it. I found it hard to control my expression. My feelings were at war with each other. I just didn't know what to do or how to feel. Maybe it was the hormones but I just had to get out of there. I couldn't stand the pity and concern in John's eyes. The others shot confused glances at each other. As the lift doors shut the last thing I heard was John calling my name.  
  
The trip to my quarters was a blur. The next thing I remembered was sliding down the wall feeling the tears slipping down my cheeks. Struggling to get up I made my way over to my bed feeling the spasms from the silent tears racking my body. Collapsing on top of my bed I curled up in a ball and cried myself to sleep.  
  
Slowly waking up the next morning the first thing I noticed was the feelings of peace, happiness, love, and warmth I was feeling, except they weren't my feelings. The second thing I noticed was that the size of the lump had doubled. I couldn't deny it anymore, I really was pregnant. I felt the tears returning but then the feeling increased bringing with them a kind of quiet laughter only the laughter was in my head. My despair disappeared it was dispersed by the feelings coming from the baby. As if sensing that everything was alright the feelings subsided and grew faint. I could still feel them though. They made me admit to myself that the baby was real and not going to go away, until this point I always thought of the baby as 'the lump' or 'it' not wanting to acknowledge that it was really a baby and really alive.  
  
Glancing at the old style digital clock I keep on my dresser I found it was 1000 hours. 'Damn I'm late for my appointment with the Doc.' I jumped up to take a quick shower because I always figured that late was late might as well be a little later than rush off dirty. I felt another giggle. I guess the baby agreed with me.  
  
Walking down the corridors I felt the eyes of the crew on me, you don't often see someone in civilian clothes on the Enterprise, but I could no longer wear my uniform. It would never fit. More giggles, I guess everything's funny today. I didn't mind I actually found the giggles kind of comforting.  
  
Taking a deep breath I steeled myself before entering the sickbay and found myself facing John and Dr. Pholx. They clearly had been arguing. They stopped as soon as I entered the room and an uncomfortable silence followed.  
  
Glancing back and forth between them I said, "Okay guys, what'd I miss?" John looked a little uncomfortable at my question but didn't say anything.  
  
"Commander Tucker I believe you're late." Phlox said as he bustled me over to the scanner.  
  
"Well, yes..."  
  
"Then we better get on with it before we waste any more time. If you would excuse us Captain." John looked like he wanted to argue but just nodded and left. I tried to ask what had happened again but the Doc basically manhandled me into shutting up.  
  
When the exam was over Phlox didn't look happy. Concerned I asked, "What's wrong, Doc?" thinking there might be something wrong with the baby, strangely this caused panic to set in where not an hour ago I would have been relieved.  
  
"Nothing is wrong Commander. The fetus seems to have doubled in size in the last 30 hours is all and the dormant genetic material that I assumed would begin taking on characteristics is. But it seems I made a mistake in my earlier diagnosis."  
  
I smiled relieved that there was nothing wrong. "What I'm not pregnant?" I joked weakly.  
  
"Oh, your certainly pregnant, but I was wrong when I said that it really wasn't your baby. It appears that 80% of the genetic material of the fetus is taking on human characteristics when I assumed they would continue their genetic predisposition."  
  
I felt something squeeze in my chest. "Are you trying to tell me that this baby is going to be part human?"  
  
"Yes, in fact mostly human. It is quiet fascinating. Humans are made up of 50% of the genetic make up of their mother and 50% of the genetic make up of their father. But this child will be made up of 80% of your DNA and only 20% of the mother's."  
  
I was still hung up on the part human part. "I thought you said that it would only be Xyrillian like Ah'Len."  
  
"I assumed it would be. It showed no signs of trying to integrate human DNA in to its makeup until recently. It's most fascinating. For most conceptions you need all the genetic material at the time of conception to create the zygote, then the embryo, and then the fetus but this species is completely different than any I have encountered. I had wondered if they procreated asexually since they seemed only to need the genes of one parent to create a child. I'm sorry that I made the assumption that the child would be composed of only the mother's genetics. It appears Commander Tucker that this child will most certainly be yours as well as its mothers. I was in error."  
  
"So this is really my baby?" I said placing my hand on top of the growing child. The facts had finally sunk in but I wasn't really sure how I felt about them. Sort of like puking actually. I had just barely accepted the fact that I was pregnant but the fact that I was a father was throwing me through a loop.  
  
"Yes." He said a little impatiently. "A healthy baby girl from the looks of it."  
  
My mind was in turmoil the baby confused by my distress tried to sooth me with loving feelings again. It helped but not as much as before I felt myself start hyperventilating, an old nervous habit of my youth. The doc seeing the trouble I was in gave me a hypo of what I assume was a sedative. When I felt my breathing come back under control I felt ashamed. I thought I had gotten over this. I wondered briefly how the Doc knew how to have a sedative ready but that thought was pushed aside as the distress of the baby made itself present. Not knowing what else to do I tried to send mental reassurances. They seemed to settle her and relax me at the same time.  
  
"Are you alright now Commander Tucker?" I wondered if I should tell the doctor about the silent communication between the baby and me.  
  
I found, "I'm fine," coming out of my mouth without consciously deciding to do so. It was reflex. The doctor nodded as if he expected as much.  
  
"Well then Commander I recommend you start taking it easy no strenuous activity. In a few days I believe you should stop working in the engine room, to decrease your exposure to potentially hazardous substances. I'd tell you to stop working all together until the baby is born but I strongly suspect that you would strongly protest. That is all Commander." Numbly I slide off the bed and headed back to my quarters. The stares followed me. The baby was a lot more visible now than it was yesterday, but no one dared ask. The look on my face probably scared them off. 


	2. Baby Names

WARNING! And incase you didn't notice the big capital letters the first time-  
  
WARNING! Due to a staggering amount of feedback I am writing more for this story. Some things should be cleared up though. 1. I'm not sure about any dates I give so don't quote me. 2. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. I'm moving Unexpected forward in the timeline. Since I want the Trip/T'Pol friendship already established and I don't believe Trip would be willing to sacrifice himself if he had a child I'm pushing it up to after episode Shuttle Pod One. That means in my reality Unexpected didn't happen till after Shuttle Pod One. 3. This chapter is written from Trip's pov again but it may switch around. If it does I'll warn you. 4. Thanks to everyone that reviewed. Didn't know if you would and I was very surprised by it. Thanks.  
  
Baby Names  
  
My mother used to tell me about The Great War. No, it wasn't WWIII or even the two other WW's. It was the Baby Name War of 2234, the year I was conceived, and it lasted till 2235, when I was born. Since I was going to be my mother's last child everyone wanted my name to have something to do with him or her. The family practically tore itself apart with backstabbing and mudslinging. My Aunt Margaret even tried a bribe! Now I wouldn't have minded being named Mark but some of them I'm glad I didn't get saddled with -- like Armand after my grandma Amanda or Luthor after my great-great-great grandfather who founded this town don'tcha know? My father was the worst of the bunch. He was stuck on Harmon (I love my father but he has absolutely no taste). He didn't talk to her for three weeks when she told him all out there was no way she was inflicting that name on her child! In fact my mother almost decided to spite them all and name me the most innocuous name she could find: Bob. Not Robert even, but Bob. Glad she didn't go through with that. She figured it would be kind of like cutting off her nose to spite her face. She did get my father though when she named me Charles Tobias Tucker III. Dad never liked his name much. I used to laugh at her story, silently of course, since she is still sore about it to this day. Yet now I find myself envying my mother. My child has no family to argue and vie for the honor of her name since I don't plan on telling them about her till she's safely born and they can't really turn away from her. I have no spouse to argue with either. I wish I had someone to lean on or just plain argue with. I never planned on being a single parent.  
  
It's been a few hours since I left sickbay. Anyone who didn't know me would be shocked at how quickly I've adjusted. If they didn't know me. I've always dealt better in situations that I could understand. Solid facts calm me, make me feel like I've got a grip on things. My mother used to say I was a control freak. If I didn't get it, then it annoyed me. And what was happening to me wasn't too difficult to grasp. Fact one: I was pregnant by an alien. Fact two: my child had no mother with the possible exception of me and only then it was by semantics. Fact three: my baby girl was going to be coming into the world pretty soon and she needed to have a name waiting for her. Fact four: easier said than done. I heard a giggle float through my mind. Oh yeah, fact five: I seem to be having this strange little girl giggling in my head all the time. I heard another giggle. I was pretty sure that my little girl didn't know exactly what I was thinking but was following the general feeling behind the thoughts and responding to them. I'd found the words didn't make much difference, just the tone. I laughed with my baby for a moment, lost in the simple joy I could feel from her. I'd never felt anything like this...except what I shared with her mother. There was a discordant jolt and I heard the baby cooing at me as if trying to ease a hurt. I'd only know Ah'Len a few days, and she'd gotten me knocked up on our first date, but I didn't hate her. I don't know if I particularly liked her. She did lie to me, telling me what we were doing was just a game. Still I didn't hate her. How could I when the baby was such a bundle of joy? I am sorry that she died, that her death had to be such a senseless one. I shook off such thoughts and gave my girl the mental version of a tickle. Her laughter filled me with love. I couldn't resist any more. She might not understand but I would. The words had been waiting to be said for a while now. Love you. I projected my feelings along with the words. There was quiet for a moment then I felt my love being returned wordlessly and more completely than I could have hoped for.  
  
If there had been anyone in my room they probably would have wondered about the goofy smile that graced my face. Well darling let's get back to business. How's Francesca? 


	3. My What!

A/N: I warned I might be switching points of view, and I am. This is from Captain Archer. *** My What?! (Captain Archer's POV)  
  
Doors. They always lead you somewhere. Even if it's somewhere you don't really want to be. I feel like a fool standing here in front of Trip's door unable to bring myself to ring the bell. Indecision has gripped me. This door -- I know where it will take me but I'm not sure I can face the destination. I've got Phlox's report in my hand. All Phlox's recommendations and all Trip's options written out in black and white. 'It's his job. I shouldn't be angry with him. But I can't help the way I feel.' Still I forbid Phlox from telling Trip. Pulled the "I'm the Captain. It's my responsibility" out and shoved it down his throat. I thought it really was my duty as Trip's friend. Now Trip has the right to know all his options and since I forbid Phlox, I have to do this. I looked down at my feet once more.  
  
Expect the unexpected, my ass. How was I ever supposed to imagine this? I don't want to lose him but the only other way goes against everything I was taught. And what if this comes up again? We are humans. We can't just turn our emotions off. I've already seen some couples taking comfort with each other. I could feel a headache building. I rubbed the back of my neck. This is such a mess. We can't turn around every time someone gets in the family way. It's just the thing the Vulcan's will pounce on to show we're not "mature" enough to be in space.  
  
Ensign Jarwarski turned the corner, hesitated when he saw me giving me a long look, then hurried on his way. 'That's it.' I reached up and pressed Trip's door com.  
  
"Yeah. Come in." Trip sounded harried. I took a deep breath and entered. Whatever I had expected was blown away by what I saw. Trip was. cleaning his room! I've know Trip for a long time and he never lived in less than what I'd call "comfortable clutter", meaning every surface was covered with something, be it engine diagrams or his niece's paintings. The man just wasn't into neat and tidy. He'd given up years ago on cleaning and had basically settled on an occasional bout of recycling. It was down right strange to see him neatly stacking everything in neat little piles and heavens above -- dusting! I watched open mouthed as he dove under his desk with a rag.  
  
"What's going on?" Amusement crept into my voice. Trip sneezed -- at least I assumed it was Trip because otherwise a creature had gotten lost in here, which had been known to happen with Trip -- and a plume of dust flew out from where I assumed Trip was.  
  
"Nesting." Before I had time to question Trip's muffled answer he'd crawled out and smiled sheepishly at me. His features were covered in a fine layer of dust. 'I didn't know we'd been out here long enough to produce that much of the stuff. Maybe Trip's room is where it all goes, like that legend about lost socks.' I shook myself. I was stalling.  
  
Trip didn't seem to notice my preoccupation as he'd already moved on to another project. "At least that was what my mother called it." He bent over to pick up some dirty clothes and for a second his shirt was drawn tight over his chest clearly outlining the bulge of the baby right below his heart. I felt MY heart drop to my shoes at the reminder of why I was here.  
  
"Trip." He turned to me and I paused, unsure what to say. "Trip. Why don't you sit down." Even to my own ears I sounded like the harbinger of doom. Staring at me like I'd grown a third head, Trip dropped the rumpled clothes and slowly made his way to his bed. Trip never took his eyes off me, even when he folded his legs underneath him. I could tell his curiosity and dread were eating away at him, but I couldn't think of anything to say. It would be so easy to just hand him the padd. Let the cold medical facts break the news. I spotted Trip's chair under more clothing. 'Maybe this will be easier on me if I am sitting as well.' I jerked it, sending the clothes flying and dragged it over to face Trip. Sitting on it, I planted my feet and leaned in closer to my friend. He really looked confused now. I knew why, too. I'm usually more straightforward than this. I sighed and looked down at the padd in my hands.  
  
"Trip. Dr. Phlox." I took a deep breath and continued. "He told me that if it's what you want, I mean after you have some time to think about it first of course, we wouldn't want you to make any rash decisions, but if you decide that you want to than he'll -- he'll perform an abortion." I let it out in a rush, more of a babble really.  
  
"Abortions are illegal." Trip's tone was neutral. No feeling telling me how he felt one way or the other. 'Oh God, he might do it. I know how frantic he was to get rid of the baby before. Now here's another option to the same end.'  
  
Inside, I winced. I couldn't bring myself to look up at him. "Not when it's a rape. It's your choice." I whispered. He was raped. Ah'Len never told him they were doing her race's form of sex. She told him it was a game. A man thinks they should be immune to rape so I imagine that it never occurred to Trip that he was raped. That realization was probably very harsh. It was for me.  
  
Silence filled the room for a long time and I quickly glanced up at my friend to make sure he was still breathing. He wasn't. Before I could duck down again, his eyes caught my own. They were full of fury and I could see his jaw was twitching. When he saw he'd gotten my attention, he exploded. "My what?! Damn it Jon, even if it was a rape, which I doubt you'd be able to prove, why in Hell would I do such a thing! You know I love kids." I barely had time to think I was right about the rape and his denial before everything else sunk in.  
  
I erupted out of my chair, full of guilt and fear. "Because you were trying so hard to return the baby to its mother! Because you were so embarrassed about the whole damn thing! Because they'll make you leave Enterprise!" The last one meant the most to him. Trip loved space, loved the unknown as much as I did.  
  
Trip's face became very pale and when he spoke his accent was nearly gone in his composed speech. "Of course I was so eager to return it. I though she was not mine, that she'd grow up with aliens, having no way to relate to us. And of course I'm embarrassed, jeez Jon I'm the first man to get knocked up, on the first date even, don't you think I know what kind of jokes I'm going to be the butt of? As for leaving Enterprise, why should I? We're not a war ship out to challenge every race we come across. I know it's dangerous but is it any more so than cargo haulers? They take their kids with them and they don't have half the speed, weaponry, or hull plating as Enterprise." Trip reached up and laid his hand on my shoulder, a small smile lighting his lips. "Don't worry Jon. If I do get kicked off, that's where I'll go. They'll welcome an engineer with my skills. I won't be grounded."  
  
I looked straight into the eyes of the man I'd trust with my life, my longest friend, the one who'd stood by me against all those opposed to my dreams. "I don't want to lose you." I whispered.  
  
He shook his head ruefully. "Then don't. But I won't have an abortion to win this battle." I sighed and turned to go. I was partly relieved at his decision and partly worried. Now I had lots of long calls to make to keep my Chief Engineer.  
  
"By the way Jon. What do you think of the name Danielle?" 


End file.
